FISHING IN INDIAN WATERS. 197 



My traces, which I spin up myself, are of two sorts. One is four-stranded, 

 made of 28 or 29 S, W. G. special soft brass wire spun up in five feet lengths, 

 at the end nearest the line I have attached a buckle swivel and at the lower 

 end an ordinary box swdvel ; I then cut the trace in the middle, and insert a 

 swivel lead of from H oz. to 2 oz. weight, according to the size and strength of 

 water. Below the lower swivel I twist in one single strand of brass wire, 

 about G inches in length, usually 19 or 21 S, W. G., and at the end of this 

 piece of wire comes a 4-4/0 to 7-7/0 Limerick bend hook, and on this 

 hook the prawn. 



The reason of the larger ^ire next the hook is that on account of its size 

 it is stiffer, and as the hook is inserted as low down in the prawn as possible, 

 the wire is available to tie the prawn up to, which I always do with some red 

 cotton. The prawn keeps in good order longer this way, and is kept straight 

 and looks more natural, and as the hook is low down, the fish is unable to get 

 even the slightest taste of what it looks upon as a real bonne-bouche with- 

 out getting the hook in its mouth. 



I think this tackle the best that can be used and the percentage of misses 

 with it are reduced to a minimum. Looking through notes, and harking back 

 to good days, 1 find that I seldom lose now more than one fish for every six 

 to seven fish landed. Some Bahmin, and those the heaviest, rim deep and 

 strong ; but the lighter and smaller fish are very much given to plunging and 

 jumping, and a large percentage of these latter are lost. One additional 

 advantage of this tackle is there is nothing to spoil or rust. All the trace is 

 made of brass throughout, and so are the swivels, &c. The only thing is 

 the hook and that one can afPord to discard when worn or rusty. 



I mentioned further back that my traces were of two sorts. The one 

 I have described ; the other is a modification of this. The length 

 and the general arrangements are the same, only that in this case I use 

 six strands of a much smaller-sized wire. No. 35 S. W. G., if I can get 

 it, is what I like. It makes a beautifully elastic and flexible trace, free from 

 all liability to kink ; and provided I could always get the size and quality 

 I like, which is not easy, I would myself never use any other. These traces 

 are suitable for nearly all sorts of general sea-fishing out here. There are 

 tiroes however, such as when one goes dapping for garfish, when gut, and fine 

 gut at that, must be used, and about which I may write some account on a 

 future occasion. 



I have spoken of the Bahmin as a most voracious and ravenous fish, and 

 when he is about, you are not left long in doubt as to his intentions. He 

 anpears to be always in a violent and cast-iron hurry, rushing about all over 

 the place, and causing the smaller fish and fry to jump and fly about. One 

 of the first and surest signs of his presence is the jumping about of the 

 small razor fish, and if you have had no sport up till then, when you see this 

 you may cheer up, for your friend is not far away. He is, when hooked 



